View Full Version : Golden Eagles in Cumbria?
On 14th August 2000 I saw something very strange in Borrowdale, Cumbria. I was making my way back in after a day out on the fell tops and was walking along a quiet footpath on the valley bottom when I saw a very large gold-brown bird in the field to my right. It appeared to be feeding on a rabbit carcass. I watched it for about 15 seconds from about 100 meters then it saw me and liften almost vertically and within seconds it was as high as the tops of the hills. It had a classic eagle profile and looked like a flying thors-hammer (mjollnir).
About 30 minutes later I was walking through the woods below the Bowder Stone when I heard loud piercing cries, looking through the trees I saw two large brown birds flying in unison around the flanks of Castle Cragg.
Did I see a Golden Eagle? I've discussed this with a few birding friends and they immediately suggested I'd seen a buzzard. I've seen plenty buzzards both on the wing and on the ground and this was larger, with a different profile and it climbed very very fast.
The mountains of central lakeland were classic eagle habitat and what makes me wonder is that at the same time osprey's were nesting on Basenthwaite about 5 miles away - which the RSPB went public on in 2001. If Golden Eagles are living and/or breeding in Borrowdale it wouldn't be surprising if the National Park and RSPB kept it quiet to deter egg thieves. Or am just wishful thinking?
I suppose I'll never know....
The Joker
26-10-2005, 23:11
You never know might be a Golden Eagle, but I think it could have been a Buzzard.
Which ever, a fantastic thing to see :D
We get quite a few buzzards down here in the south now, I see them fairly regular. A buzzards call sounds a bit like a cat mewwing and they make turns in the air quite sharply. An eagle is more graceful in the air. In the summer I saw 4 buzzards playing in the air together, turning upside down and all that, it was amazing. Also been to Mull and seen the sea eagles, there huge..........Jon
The Joker
26-10-2005, 23:38
We get quite a few buzzards down here in the south now, I see them fairly regular. A buzzards call sounds a bit like a cat mewwing and they make turns in the air quite sharply. An eagle is more graceful in the air. In the summer I saw 4 buzzards playing in the air together, turning upside down and all that, it was amazing. Also been to Mull and seen the sea eagles, there huge..........Jon
When I was 9, myself and the family went on holiday to the Isle of Eagg Scotland (i think thats how you spell it).
While walking with my father a Golden Eagle flew over our heads. I know they are big birds, but when your 9 and its not that far up it was massive. :D :D
Now Isle of Eagg there's a place to go Bushcrafting :D
dragonferret
26-10-2005, 23:40
I live only about 6 miles away from the eagles nesting site at haweswater , this year they said only the male eagle had turned up for breeding and i have heard they are like swans in that they pair up for life . so it seems that you have probaly seen a pair of buzzards . Althought there have been a few pairs of osprey breeding in cumbria in the past few years . :)
running bare
27-10-2005, 08:37
back in july my wife & I where sitting on the shore of loch earn in scotland with the whole place to ourselves cooking a meal, when we heard an almighty slap on the water, looking towards the noise we saw a golden eagle fishing we sat for what seemed hours watching it. when it caught a fish iiiiiit would soar off into the hills and circle before landing to presumably feed its young.then it would be up again and back to fishing. sorry it doesnt help with your I.D. butthe mention of eagles just prompted me to share that little experience. it was FANTASTIC!!!
tom
maybe they were kites,they are on the increase?????
I live only about 6 miles away from the eagles nesting site at haweswater , this year they said only the male eagle had turned up for breeding and i have heard they are like swans in that they pair up for life . so it seems that you have probaly seen a pair of buzzards
However Dunelm said he saw it in 2000. So it very well could have been a pair of GE.
I first saw the Golden Eagles at Haweswater in 1978 when they first returned to breed, a magnificent sight. As we stood chatting to the warden the then immature male flew down onto a rock on the fellside and, after a few minutes, launched itself to bowl over a lamb grazing not far away. We were awestruck but having knocked over the lamb, the eagle just stood nearby. The warden commented that the male bird was still immature so maybe didn't know how to finish off the lamb and, over the course of the next half hour or so, the lamb gradually stirred and eventually got to its feet and moved away.
Then, complete with kids, I returned in the late 1990's to walk High Street and we made our way to exactly the same spot hoping to see an Eagle again. We were amazed to find that while the RSPB still had their wooden hut there tucked in behind the drystone walls (albeit a larger one), they had also set up telscopes and tri-pods and were obviously aiming to manage visits and reduce general wandering and disturbance. Again we were lucky to get great views of the eagles, including some through the 'scope perched up. I recounted the tale of the visit in the 1970's and was told that the male was in fact the same one which had been there 20 years earlier although the warden didn't seem to want to believe the incident with the lamb ( !!! )although my three companions of the time are still around to testify to it.
I think that they may not have returned in the last couple of years and haven't caught up with what's happened this year but let's hope they do return some time in the future. The RSPB site at Bassenthwaite also provides telescope viewing for the Ospreys (in season) as well as wonderful views of red squirrels at close quarters on the bird feeding station.
jdlenton
27-10-2005, 10:53
Borowdale is one of my favourite places in the lakes to have golden eagles there would be superb. It is feasible that some of the off spring from the Hawswater pairs have moved over to Borrowdale this article (http://www.rspb.org.uk/england/north/action/missingeagle.asp) says that the eagles have been in the are from the 1950’s and have had 16 offspring it is logical that some of the offspring have moved to adjacent territories I’m no bird expert just a keen birder but this logic sounds sensible to me what do ya think ?
James
your spot of an out of place bird is not unusual. a couple of weeks ago we had an osprey on the hythe canal that stayed for about a week. caused all sorts of traffic problems around the local streets. beautiful bird though, especially so close up.
demographic
30-10-2005, 21:57
The pair breeding at Hawswater has managed to get quite a few young uns out of the nest from what I have heard...
Got to go somewhere :)
I have personally seen one flying over Carrock fell years ago while me and a mate were trying to get to the top on a KMX125, just at the point when we realised that we were not going to manage the top and stopped for a break one flew overhead about 60 feet away.
Bloody big bird and pretty impressive IMO
I saw a program on beeb 2 last night about golden eagles.
one was filmed carrying a Lamb into its nest!!!
ilovemybed
01-11-2005, 10:42
I saw a program on beeb 2 last night about golden eagles.
one was filmed carrying a Lamb into its nest!!!
Was that the one set on Mull? Weren't they Sea Eagles? Beautiful beasts.
See http://www.coast2coast.co.uk/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001585.html for some some up to date information.